During surgery, cautery knives are used for cauterization as well as cutting, for example, to destroy dead tissue, to stop bleeding and prevent the spread of infection. In this process, the cautery knife accumulates debris and should be frequently cleaned to remove unwanted tissue and maintain a clean incision.
Devices presently used for this purpose comprise sandpaper pads or a single slot molded into the edge of a holster in which the knife is kept.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved cautery knife cleaner which is disposable so that the debris which accumulates on the cleaner will not contaminate the knife during re-use. It is a further object to provide a cleaner which can be readily used by the surgeon using only the hand holding the knife. It is a still further object to provide a cleaner which provides a progressive length for cleaning so that a fresh area can be used for each cleaning stroke.
Other objects and features of the invention will be evident in the following description and claims in which the invention is described together with details to enable persons skilled in the art to make and use the device, all in connection with the best mode presently contemplated for the invention.